Construction



June 18, 1968 P. w. TILLISCH ETAL CONSTRUCTION Original Filed Dec. 28, 1962 Flg l 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 PM! W fill/uh 600170 E. Myer Run Fqulii INVENTORS ATTO EY P. w. TILLI SCH ETAL CONSTRUCTION June 18, 1968 7 Original Filed Dec. 28, 1962 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 2 If e 8 I Inc! 19 June 1968 P. w. TlLLlSCH ETAL .5

CONSTRUCTION 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 Original Filed Dec. 28 1962 Fly I Z.

United States Patent 3,388,521 CONSTRUCTION Paul W. Tiliiseh, George E. Meyer, and Rocco Papalia, Antioch, Calif, assignors to Kaiser Gypsum Company, Inc., Oakland, Calif., a corporation of Washington Original application Dec. 28, 1962, Ser. No. 247,976. Divided and this application Nov. 18, 1965, Ser. No. 527,623

1 Claim. (Cl. 52573) This application is a division of application Ser. No. 247,976, filed on Dec. 28, 1962, now abandoned.

This invention relates to wall construction; and more particularly it relates to ceiling and to floor track means for supporting wall board panel construction, and to partitions produced thereby.

In normal building construction, particularly of the multistory type, and more particularly in such construction where concrete slabs form successive floors and/or ceilings, there is a tendency of such floor slabs and ceiling slabs to deflect or sag with the passage of time. In the construction of such buildings, non-loadbearing partitions are also installed in general practice and these may comprise gypsum lath or wall board, or lath or board composed principally of mineral, e.g. glass, fiber or of cellulose fibers of the well known types; and, if desired, with application also of plaster coats. The deflection or sag of the concrete ceiling or floor construction has created numerous problems in the satisfactory installation of nonloadbearing partitions, for example in dry wall construction, in that the sagging, for instance, may result in bowing or even cracking of the partition, lath, plaster or the wall board, for example, after installation. Such unsightly damage is very difiicult to correct.

According to the present invention, such sagging, deflection or warping of ceiling and floor construction is compensated for by means of an improved ceiling track or an improved floor track, or both, each of which enables adjustment to the changes occurring in then normal floor and ceiling construction. By the present invention the mentioned sag or deflection is compensated for by yieldable support means incorporated in the floor track or ceiling track or both, permitting adjustment to avoid stresses or strains in the wall board panels or laths. In one embodiment there is employed a ceiling track having a resilient means incorporated therein to efiect vertical adjustment. One such resilient means in each arm is an inwardly inclined arm such as in FIGURE and another is a resilient loop, e.g., as shown in FIGURE 10. In a further embodiment, for example, there is a vertically slidable means incorporated in the ceiling track or runner means to effect such adjustment.

Some advantageous embodiments of the present invention are shown in the accompanying drawings in which:

FIGURE 1 is an end view of a floor track according to the present invention.

FIGURE 2 is a side view showing a floor track of the present invention attached to a subjacent support such as a floor.

FIGURE 3 is a vertical sectional view showing a wall board installed in a floor track of the present invention.

FIGURE 4 is a perspective view of a floor track of the present invention.

FIGURE 5 is an end view of a ceiling track of the present invention.

FIGURE 6 is a side view of a ceiling track according to the present invention.

FIGURE 7 is a perspective view of a ceiling track according to the present invention as installed in a ceiling.

FIGURE 8 is a vertical sectional view of a ceiling Patented June 18, 1968 ice track and wall board installation according to the present invention.

FIGURE 9 is a vertical section view showing a wall board in combination with a ceiling track and a floor runner, each according to the present invention.

FIGURE 10 is an end view of another embodiment of a resilient ceiling track according to this invention.

FIGURE 11 is a partial sectional view of a wall board and partition installation employing the ceiling track or runner of FIGURE 10.

FIGURE 12 is an exploded end view of another embodiment of a yieldable support ceiling track according to this invention, having internal and external members.

FIGURE 13 is an end view of a variation of the internal member of the embodiment of FIGURE 12.

FIGURE 14 is a sectional view of a partition employing the yieldable support ceiling track according to FIG- URE 13.

In FIGURES 1 to 4 there is shown floor track 10, having a web 36 and two side legs 37, each of said legs having spaced-apart inwardly directed flanges 11 at the top and a downwardly bent portion or leg 12 on each such flange which springs against the side of a lath or wall board such as 18, when the latter is installed in track 10 as shown, for example, in FIGURE 3. Downwardly bent legs--12 also serve as a guide for the insertion of lath or wall board. Flange 11 is partially cut away from side leg 37 to provide a tongue 13 which can be bent upwardly to provide further support for wall board 18 as shown in FIGURE 3. It is a particular advantage of the tongues or tabs 13 that, when bent up to a vertical position or to an angle at from 45 to from the horizontal, they are embedded in the later-applied plaster coating and aid in strengthening the floor-track-board and combination. These tabs or tongues 13 can be located at one side only of the floor track but, preferably, at both sides thereof. Such tabs or tongues function as tensible tabs in that they effect an increase in the tensile strength of the floor elements of the wall assembly, or the floor beam as will be further described, whereby the partition is protected against stresses which would be otherwise imposed by downward deflection of the concrete floor or ceiling.

In base or web 36 of channel 10 are successive struckout tongues 14 which are spaced from each other along the length of the track and effect springing contact with a subjacent support 15 as shown, for example, in FIG- URE 2, tongues 14 being bent downwardly from web 36 as at 19. Such tongues 14 in one embodiment are only partially cut out and thereby act as break-away tabs under suflicient sagging stress. This is also an advantage because plaster filled into channel 10 is more completely retained therein until it hardens, with better avoidance of attachment thereof to concrete flooring. Each flange or any desired number of them is nailed to subjacent support 15 by a nail such as shown at 16. It will be understood that alternatively a screw or other means can be employed to aiiix tongue 13 to subjacent support such as 15. It can be seen that tongue 14 is free to move up and down by means of a hinge effect as at 19, although it is afiixed to the subjacent support such as the floor 15.

When installed in place the wall board 18 is set into channel 10 and the base of wall board 18 then rests on web 36 of channel 10 and is supported in vertical position by flanges 11, sprung legs 12, and tongue 13. Flanges 11 are suitably spaced apart along the length of the channel. Cut-away tongues 13 of flange 11 are bent upwardly and plaster is applied as at 17 and is likewise charged into channel 10 to fill in also around the base of board 18 and to harden to provide an over-all solid beam effect, of excellent tensile strength. It is an advantage of the floor track provided with resilient means that it is essentially self-leveling, i.e., compensates for unevenness or minor surface variations in the floor.

Another feature of the present invention is the provision of a yieldable support ceiling track having, e.g., a resilient means which compensates for the sagging of the ceiling, for example, in a multistory apartment or oflice building where there will be problems of sagging of either cement slabs or other types of ceiling construction. One embodiment of such ceiling track according to the present invention is shown in FIGURES 5, 6, 7 and 8 where generally represents the ceiling track article itself. This track is comprised of a web 21 having at each side inwardly inclined flanges 22 and 23. At the outer edge of each of these flanges are, respectively, shoulders 24 and 25 which are disposed generally perpendicularly to web 21. Extending inwardly from shoulder 24 and generally parallel to web 21 is flange 25; and extending inwardly from shoulder 25 and also generally parallel to web 21 is flange 27. Preferably, flange 26 is longer than flange 27 in the present embodiment. Struck-out tongues 28 are provided in flange 26 and these extend downwardly from the flange. Extending downwardly, i.e., in the direction generally perpendicular to the plane of web 21, at the outer edge of flange 27 and attached thereto is supporting element 29 which is provided with a number of apertures 30, this element being also a flat piece of metal adapted to lie adjacent to or abutting, the upper side face of a later-installed wall board or lath 31, and having apertures 30 which provide means for keying a coat of plaster 32 to board 31 as shown in FIGURE 8. Struck-out tongues 28 1,

are adapted to be bent downwardly after board 31 is installed and prior to application of a coating of plaster 32 on the surface of wall board or lath, to assist in holding it in an upright position. It will be noted that flange 21 is of suflicient length that the upper end of the wall board terminates below, or abuts the lower face thereof, and in any event cannot extend into the interior of ceiling track 20. Likewise tongues 28 are narrow and leave only narrow apertures in flange 26 whereby any substantial penetration of later-applied plaster into the interior of track 20 is effectively prevented by the entire combination.

Track 20 is suitably nailed, screwed or otherwise aflixed to ceiling 33 as at 34. As ceiling 33 will tend to sag with the passage of time, track 20 will take up any such sag by reason of the resilience provided by the coaction of web 21 and adjacent inclined flanges 22 and 23, each of which is at an acute angle to web 21, because the web and an adjacent inclined flange bend toward each other to prevent the effect of such sagging of the ceiling from reaching wall board 31 and causing it to buckle or crack.

Inasmuch as the empty space in track 20 would have the effect of transmitting sound along the track and between the walls, it is in some instances desirable to provide some acoustical property in this ceiling track, i.e., to prevent sound passage therethrough. To this end, a strip of foamed rubber, foamed urethane resin, or other resilient and sound-absorbing material 35 is inserted in the track without deleteriously affecting the sag-absorption properties thereof. Strips of foam urethane with an adhesive backing are obtainable in commerce and are easily applied affixed to the interior surface of the web of such ceiling track with great improvement in the soundabsorbing characteristics of the resilient partition.

As shown in FIGURE 9, it can be seen that the ceiling track 20 and floor track 10 both provide resilient means whereby changes in the vertical position of ceiling 33 or of floor 15 are compensated for and the respective tracks adjust themselves thereto, while at the same time preventing transmission of buckling forces or cracking stresses to the wall board which is installed therebetween, as at 18, and to plaster coating 17, where such is applied. As ceiling 33 sags, web 21 and inwardly inclined flanges 22 and 23 will bend toward each other preventing transmission of or dampening the force of such sag eflect with respect to flanges 26 and 27 and to the top of wall board 18 in the embodiments shown. Similarly as subjacent support 15 sags, for example, toward the central portion of a floor track 10 with a plaster filling 17 and the inserted end of wall board 18, tongue 14 which is nailed or otherwise afiixed to subjacent support 15 will bend downwardly without disturbing the horizontal alignment of the main track 10. At the same time, since tongue 14 is affixed to support 15, it prevents sideward movement of track 10 with respect to the subjacent support or with respect to ceiling track 20, The bent-up tabs 13 also strengthen and stiffen the floor assembly; and it has been found that the non-loadbearing partition of this construction is selfsupporting when a concrete floor sags away from the floor track, the total floor track assembling action as a beam to support the remaining elements of the partition. It will be noted that ceiling track 20 is likewise affixed to ceiling 33 to prevent horizontal motion, while permitting vertical adjustment in height.

A variation of the resiliently yieldable support in the ceiling track is shown in FIGURES 10 and 11, where the ceiling track 38 comprises a web or horizontal portion 39 and downwardly extending side arms 40 and 41, each having an inward loop or bent portion 42, 43 respectively, and each arm having an inwardly extending horizontal flange, 44, 45, respectively at its outer end, ie at the end remote from the web 39. At the inward extremity of horizontal flange 44 is disposed downwardly, preferably vertically, extending flange or plate 46. Upon installation, web 39 is aflixed to a ceiling stud or other base by screws or nails 51, for example. Tabs 47 are provided at intervals along the length of horizontal flange 45, and after installation of a board such as 48, are bent downwardly to assist in holding the board upright and to key to later-applied plaster coat 49 by imbedment therein. Board 48 is aflixed to flange 46 by screws or nails 50, and plaster can be applied thereover. Upon later deflection of the ceiling, any vertical change is compensated for by the springing or resilient action of loops 42, 43, reducing or substantially preventing warping or cracking of wall board 48 and greatly reducing spalling, cracking or damaging of plaster coat 49. Tabs 47 are cut out of flange 45 similarly to tabs 28 in flange 26. Alternatively such tabs can be welded to the under surface of flanges 26 or 45 but this is a more expensive procedure, and partially cut-out tabs are preferred. If desired, downward flange 46 can be provided also with apertures similar to apertures 30 on flange 29 for better adhesion of plaster coat 49.

Another variant of the yieldable support ceiling track is shown in FIGURES 12 to 14, wherein there is provided an exterior channel track 52 comprising web 53 and arms 54 and 55. Preferably, arms 54 and 55 are slightly sprung or bent inwardly, i.e., at an angle of slightly less than 90, preferably between and to the horizontal web, .to provide a springing engagement of the other elements of the structure as will be later described. Preferably, also, arms 54 and 55 are slightly curved outwardly at the ends, whereby they will tend to slide over a plaster coating when vertical movement occurs. There is also provided an internal wall board-engaging channel 56, having web 62 and outwardly extending flanges 57 and 58, which is slidably disposed within channel 52, flanges 57 and 58 being in frictional engagement with arms 54 and 55. Channel 56 is also provided with arms 59 and 60 within which is disposed the top of wall board or lath 61, for example. Flanges 57 and 58 can extend outwardly from the web of the internal channel or from the ends of the arms of the channel, as shown in FIGURES 12 and 13, respectively. The embodiment of FIGURE 13 has the advantage of ease of manufacture. When assembled, the web of the internal channel is spaced from the web of the external channel to permit sliding or vertical movement to accommodate for sagging of the ceiling. Arms 54 and 55 of the exterior channel springingly engage the outer ends of the outwardly extending flanges of the interior channel but the former are free to slide over such ends, when ceiling deflects or sags, to prevent communication of added stress or pressure to the wall board or panel supported within the ceiling track assembly. The exterior channel is fixed against horizontal movement, suitably by screwing or nailing to the ceiling 33 as at 51. When plaster coat 63 is applied, flanges 57' and 58' prevent any penetration thereof into space 64, so that freedom of vertical movement of channels 52 and 56 with respect to each other is effected. By means of slight outward curvatures 65 and 66 on the arms 54 and 55, respectively, of exterior channel 52, these arms are enabled to move downwardly over plaster coating 63 with minimum damage thereto upon later sagging of ceiling 33. Preferably, the arms of the interior channel of this assembly are slightly sprung inwardly, which enables more secure gripping of the top of the panel or board insert, accommodates also to differences in width of the panel and ensures closer springing contact with the exterior channel arms.

It will be understood that a resilient sound-absorbing material, for example, foamed rubber or foamed urethane resin, can be inserted in any of the ceiling track assemblies described herein, preferably affixed to the interior surface of the Web which is affixed to the ceiling support. Such an insertion is particularly advantageous in that it reduces and minimizes sound transmission through such partitions. The ceiling and floor tracks and channels described are preferably made of ferrous metal, e.g., steel, but another metal, e.g., aluminum, or other suitable material can be employed if desired. Where the term wall board is used in the specification and claim, it is intended to include any sheet-like wall member such as a board, lath, panel or the like.

The above specific description and drawings have been given for purposes of illustration only and various changes and modifications can be made therein without departing from the spirit and scope of the claim.

Having now described the invention, what is claimed is:

1. Ceiling track for wall construction to yieldably support a wallboard comprising in combination an external channel runner having a web and a pair of arms extending generally perpendicularly to said web, each of said arms terminating in an outwardly curving edge, an internal channel member disposed within said external channel runner, said internal channel member having a web and two arms extending generally perpendicularly to said second-mentioned web and in the same direction as said first-mentioned pair of arms and adapted to abut the top and upper side faces of a later-installed wallboard and to grip the same, said second-mentioned pair of arms each terminating in a single horizontally outwardly extending flange frictionally engaging the interior surface of each of said external channel runner intermediate said firstmentioned web and said outwardly curving edge, said interior channel member being adapted to slide vertically relative to said external channel under deflection of a ceiling when installed, said web of said internal channel member being spaced from said web of said external channel, and said arms of both of said channels when in normal position being sprung inwardly.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,082,031 12/1913 Lee 52-627 1,975,470 10/1934 Mclnerney 52241 2,084,107 6/1937 Parkinson 52-401 2,159,296 5/1939 Sharp 52300 2,402,105 6/1946 Verhagen 52399 2,831,553 4/1958 Pollock 52400 3,125,193 3/1964 Brown 52-242 3,153,467 10/1964 Nelsson 52241 2,667,951 2/ 1954 Gall 52400 2,840,869 7/1958 Fegan 52400 FOREIGN PATENTS 1,004,393 1951 France. 1,231,787 1960 France.

JOHN E. MURTAGH, Primary Examiner. 

1. CEILING TRACK FOR WALL CONSTRUCTION TO YIELDABLY SUPPORT A WALLBOARD COMPRISING IN COMBINATION AN EXTERNAL CHANNEL RUNNER HAVING A WEB AND A PAIR OF ARMS EXTENDING GENERALLY PERPENDICULARLY TO SAID WEB, EACH OF SAID ARMS TERMINATING IN AN OUTWARDLY CURVING EDGE, AN INTERNAL CHANNEL MEMBER DISPOSED WITHIN SAID EXTERNAL CHANNEL RUNNER, SAID INTERNAL CHANNEL MEMBER HAVING A WEB AND TWO ARMS EXTENDING GENERALLY PERPENDICULARLY TO SAID SECOND-MENTIONED WEB AND IN THE SAME DIRECTION AS SAID FIRST-MENTIONED PAIR OF ARMS AND ADAPTED TO ABUT THE TOP AND UPPER SIDE FACES OF A LATER-INSTALLED WALLBOARD AND TO GRIP THE SAME, SAID SECOND-MENTIONED PAIR OF ARMS EACH TERMINATING IN A SINGLE HORIZONTALLY OUTWARDLY EXTENDING FLANGE FRICTIONALLY ENGAGING THE INTERIOR SURFACE OF EACH OF SAID EXTERNAL CHANNEL RUNNER INTERMEDIATE SAID FIRSTMENTIONED WEB AND SAID OUTWARDLY CURVING EDGE, SAID INTERIOR CHANNEL MEMBER BEING ADAPTED TO SLIDE VERTICALLY RELATIVE TO SAID EXTERNAL CHANNEL UNDER DEFLECTION OF A CEILING WHEN INSTALLED, SAID WEB OF SAID INTERNAL CHANNEL MEMBER BEING SPACED FROM SAID WEB OF SAID EXTERNAL CHANNEL, AND SAID ARMS OF BOTH OF SAID CHANNELS WHEN IN NORMAL POSITION BEING SPRUNG INWARDLY. 